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Ratatouille & Chateau Ste. Michelle 2006 Nelly’s Garden Dry Rose

Ratatouille is never as good as it is right now. It’s the epitomical late-summer dish. Each ingredient is at its peak -- eggplant, peppers, basil, tomatoes, summer squash.

I became addicted to it in culinary school. While stewing all those vegetables for hours, I wondered if the French had finally screwed one up. Nay. My mouth had an epiphany. Before then, I don’t believe I’d ever experienced such a symphonic meld of beautiful flavors that somehow still allowed each ingredient its character.

2001 Domaine Ste. Michelle Luxe Sparkling with Cod Tempura, Lemon Beurre Blanc & Grilled Cantaloupe

Squeeze every drop of enjoyment out of the last few summery days with a little something grilled, a little something fried and a little something bubbly. Cod tempura with a lemon beurre blanc, grilled cantaloupe, and avocado on a bed of lettuces should do the trick. And these flavors are quite fantastic with the 2001 Domaine Ste. Michelle Luxe Sparkling.

The Pairing:
Honestly, every ingredient just sings with the Luxe’s toasty, lush bubbles. The hot, crisp, rich battered fish is a delightful contrast in both temperature and texture; the unctuous avocado matches the Luxe’s lushness; the grilled cantaloupe’s smoky-sweetness is a delightful surprise; and the buttery lemon sauce not only goes well with the Luxe, but enhances the cod’s flavor and gives a refreshing, lemony lift to the entire dish.

The Luxe:
Luxe is Domaine Ste. Michelle’s premier sparkler, and rightly so. She’s got a toasty, apple and honey nose; flavors of pears, almonds & vanilla; and tight, everlasting bubbles. It’s a very food friendly wine with a great depth of flavor. Many chefs say, when in doubt, serve bubbly -- you couldn’t go wrong with this one.

The Salad:
Cod tempura - dip chunks of cod (dried well on a paper towel and lightly salted) into tempura batter (box-mix with Jean George’s addition of sherry vinegar, salt & sesame oil) and deep fry in 350° peanut oil until crisp, golden and cooked through.

Crab & Prawn Potstickers with Chipotle Crema and Ginger Martinis

Mixologists are the new hotties of the food world; and when they & restaurant chefs work symbiotically, we are all rewarded with fabulous, mind-blowing cocktail pairings.

Mixing cocktails is actually quite easy and gives you control of the overall flavor, thus, the overall pairing. Just decide on a dish, devise a flavor that goes well with it, use that as the cocktail's main flavor profile, and then play with the subtleties -- secondary flavors, acidity, sweetness, bitterness, etc.

Dreaming up food & cocktail pairings is pretty fun, then experimenting with flavors and textures is -- well, when you nail it, it can be extremely satisfying.

For my last dinner party I served shrimp & crab potstickers. I wanted a matching cocktail with simple, clean, refreshing flavors. Lemon really sings with seafood, fresh ginger went with the Asian theme, and both flavors are clean and refreshing. I tinkered around with a ginger martini recipe I found online, then added Lime Perrier for texture and to reduce the alcohol level, and lemon verbena to put it over the edge. I gave the combo a test run and that was it -- that was the match -- it was just the flavor profile I was looking for.

Crab & Prawn Potstickers with Chipotle-Lime Crema
(If memory serves, pretty close to what I did the other night -- and it made about 40)

Late-Summer Dinner Party Menu

Taking a few days off after “the summer from hell” will make a girl giddy. Giddy enough to quickly arrange an intimate gathering, swing by the local farm for ingredients, and grab a dusty bottle or two from the wine cellar.

Didn’t take many photos - I was terribly remiss; but if you’ll indulge, I’ll give a few details. The evening was just beautiful -- warm, with a few clouds and a slight breeze; the music was soft Latin jazz; the double-doors to the back deck were opened wide, leading to the table set in Provencial hues with lots of candles, and even more wine glasses; the view was tall evergreens & neighboring horses.

Eric & Renee were the first to arrive on the scene, bearing gifts of wine, chocolate, cheese & a baguette. After the kiss-kisses and hugs, Brett shook up the first batch of ginger-lime martinis. A few moments later, our dear friends Kimberly & Darren, armed with even more wine, appeared just in time for me to forcefully scrape a reluctant first batch of potstickers out of the pan and shatter the martini shaker to the ground -- and it was going so well up to that point. But, knowing that every party has a few glitches, the glass was swept away, the pan was changed, and all was right with the world.